Banks Lake National Wildlife Refuge (Folkston)
Banks Lake National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) is located in Lanier County, near Lakeland, GA, as part of a much larger blackwater system. The refuge was established in 1985 for the protection and conservation of this unique environment as well as migratory and resident wildlife. Banks Lake is natural pocosin or sink of ancient geologic origin. The refuge contains a variety of habitat types including 1, 500 acres of marsh, 1, 549 acres of cypress swamp, and 1, 000 acres of open water.
West Point Lake (West Point)
Designed as a recreation demonstration project, this lake has fishing piers for the handicapped and other special features. Fishing is probably the most popular activity on West Point Lake. A dozen creeks and more than 40 square miles of lake provide plenty of good fishing spots for the thousands of anglers who fish here regularly. The lake abounds with bass, catfish, crappie and bream.
George W. Andrews Lake (Ft Gaines)
Lake George W. Andrews is located on the Chattahoochee River above Columbia, Alabama. Centered on the border between Alabama and Georgia, just above the Florida line, this area is very rich in history. There are nearby historic sites (including Kolomoki Indian Mounds State Park), excellent fishing and recreational opportunities, wildlife viewing and several Corps of Engineers and local government operated parks and boat ramps in the area.
Richard B Russell Dam And Lake (Elberton)
The Corps' newest lake project on the Savannah River, lying between J. Strom Thurmond Lake to the south and Hartwell Lake to the north, Russell is one of the finest fishing lakes in the Southeast. Hunting opportunities abound as well. The cost of construction of recreational facilities was shared with the states of Georgia and South Carolina, and operation and maintenance of these facilities has been assumed by these states.
New Savannah Bluff Lock And Dam (AUGUSTA)
Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests (Gainesville)
Located in north and central Georgia are the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests. Georgia's national forests are said to be a hiker's paradise. Winding trails lead visitors through scenic mountains and rolling hills, by wild rushing rivers and cascading waterfalls. The famous 2, 135-mile Appalachian Trail begins here and hardy hikers don't see the end until they reach Maine! Drive along the Ridge and Valley Scenic Byway, which tours the Armuchee Ridges of the Appalachian Mountains.
Chickamauga & Chattanooga National Military Park (Fort Oglethorpe)
Between 1890 and 1899 the Congress of the United States authorized the establishment of the first four national military parks: Chickamauga and Chattanooga, Shiloh, Gettysburg, and Vicksburg. The first and largest of these, and the one upon which the establishment and development of most other national military and historical parks was based, was Chickamauga and Chattanooga. It owes its existence largely to the efforts of General H.V.
Cumberland Island National Seashore (Saint Marys)
Cumberland Island is 17.5 miles long and totals 36, 415 acres of which 16, 850 are marsh, mud flats, and tidal creeks. It is well known for its sea turtles, abundant shore birds, dune fields, maritime forest, salt marshes, and historic structures.
Fort Pulaski National Monument (Savannah)
The defining events of Fort Pulaski occurred during the American Civil War. In April of 1862, Union troops directed rifled cannon fire at the fort breaching the southeast angle. The quick success of this experimental cannon surprised military strategists. The accuracy and range of the rifled cannon rendered brick fortifications obsolete. Immediately after capturing the fort, Union Major General David Hunter, an ardent abolitionist, ordered the release of area slaves.
Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary (Savannah)
Modern day Gray's Reef comprises one of the largest nearshore sandstone reefs in the southeastern United States. Named in recognition of Milton B. Gray, a biological collector and curator at the University of Georgia Marine Institute, who studied the area during the 1960s, it's located 32 kilometers (17.5 nautical miles) off Sapelo Island, Georgia. Sanctuary boundaries protect 17 square miles of open ocean.
Sapelo Island National Estuarine Research Reserve (Sapelo Island)
Sapelo Island is the fourth largest Georgia barrier island and one of the most pristine. The reserve is made up of salt marshes, maritime forests and beach dune areas. Not only is the island rich in natural history, but also in human history dating back 4, 000 years.With broad-based community support and interaction both on Sapelo Island and the mainland, the reserve conducts Coastal Decision-maker Workshops and actively participates in the System-wide Monitoring Program.
Allatoona Lake (Cartersville)
Allatoona Lake is one of the most frequently visited U.S. Army Corps of Engineers lakes in the nation. Located only 30 miles from Atlanta, more than 6 million visitors each year enjoy picnicking, camping, hunting, fishing, swimming and other water sports, and observing the abundant wildlife along the shores of this beautiful lake.
Lake Sidney Lanier (Buford)
Over the years recreation has grown by leaps and bounds to nearly 7 million visitors annually at Lake Sidney Lanier. Today recreation is an important benefit of the lake. Seventy-six recreational areas have been developed around the lake. These include 49 parks operated directly by the Corps, 10 marinas, and Lake Lanier Islands. The remaining areas are leased to county and city governments such as the Boy Scouts. Lake Lanier is one of the most visited federally operated lakes in the nation.
Carters Lake (Oakman)
Carters Lake Project is managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Mobile District. Carters Lake is one of the most scenic lakes in the Southeast. Located at the southern end of the Blue Ridge Mountains, its sparkling waters and rugged shoreline provide a beautiful surrounding for a variety of recreational opportunities which includes: camping, picnicking, boating, fishing, and hunting. Want to learn more about recreation at Carters Lake? Click on the Carters Lake Web Site link.
Walter F. George Lake (Ft Gaines)
Walter F. George Lake is a 45, 000 acre lake located on the Chattahoocee River between the states of Alabama and Georgia. This area is rich in history with many nearby historic sites and towns. The lake is nationally known for it's bass and crappie fishing. The lock, located at Ft. Gaines, Georgia, has the second highest drop east of the Mississippi River. Fishing and water recreation opportunities abound.
Hartwell Lake (Hartwell)
This lake in the upstate region of Georgia and South Carolina has a reputation as an excellent location for all types of outdoor recreational activities. The lake is created by Hartwell Dam located on the Savannah River seven miles below the point at which the Tugaloo and Seneca Rivers join to form the Savannah. . Extending 49 miles up the Tugaloo and 45 miles up the Seneca, Hartwell Lake comprises nearly 56, 000 acres of water with a shoreline of 962 miles.
Blackbeard Island National Wildlife Refuge (Savannah)
Blackbeard Island was acquired by the Navy Department at public auction in 1800 as a source of live oak timber for ship building. In 1924 the island was placed under the jurisdiction of the Bureau of Biological Survey to be maintained as a preserve and breeding ground for native wildlife and migratory birds. A presidential proclamation in 1940 changed its designation from Blackbeard Island Reservation to Blackbeard Island National Wildlife Refuge.
Harris Neck National Wildlife Refuge (Savannah)
Harris Neck NWR was established in 1962 by transfer of federal lands formerly managed by the Federal Aviation Administration as a WWII Army airfield. Located in McIntosh County, Georgia, the refuge serves as an important link in the chain of refuges along the Atlantic seaboard, and is the inland base for two neighboring barrier island refuges, Blackbeard Island and Wolf Island refuges, both located southeast of Harris Neck.
Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge (Folkston)
Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge Okefenokee NWR, located about 11 miles southwest of Folkston, was established in 1937 to preserve the 438, 000 acre Okefenokee Swamp. The refuge encompasses approximately 396, 000 acres with 353, 000 acres designated as a National Wilderness Area. Swamp habitats include open wet "prairies, " cypress forests, scrub-shrub vegetation, upland islands, and open lakes.
Wassaw National Wildlife Refuge (Savannah)
Wassaw Island, one of Georgia's coastal barrier islands, was designated a National Wildlife Refuge on October 20, 1969. Unlike many of Georgia's Golden Isles, little development and few management practices have modified Wassaw's primitive character. The 10, 053-acre refuge includes beaches with rolling dunes, maritime forest, and vast salt marshes.
Ocmulgee National Monument (Macon)
Ocmulgee is a memorial to the antiquity of man in this corner of the North American continent. The National Monument preserves a continuous record of human life in the Southeast from the earliest times to the present. From Ice-Age hunters to the Muscogee (Creek) people of historic times, there is evidence here of 12, 000 years of human habitation. One period stands out. Between AD 900 and 1200 a skillful farming people lived on this site.
Wolf Island National Wildlife Refuge (Savannah)
Wolf Island NWR, located approximately 12 miles off the coast of Darien, Georgia in McIntosh County, was established on April 3, 1930 to provide protection and habitat for migratory birds. The barrier island refuge consists of Wolf Island and two smaller islands, Egg and Little Egg. Over 75% of the refuge's 5, 126 acres are composed of saltwater marsh.
Andersonville National Historic Site (Andersonville)
Andersonville, or Camp Sumter as it was officially known, was one of the largest of many Confederate military prisons established during the Civil War. It was built early in 1864 after Confederate officials decided to move the large number of Federal prisoners kept in and around Richmond, Virginia, to a place of greater security and a more abundant food supply . During the 14 months the prison existed, more than 45, 000 Union soldiers were confined here.
Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area (Atlanta)
?It?s one of the most beautiful places in our country, extremely valuable to all those who know it, who live near it, and who appreciate the quiet and seclusion and the beauty and the value of this river?. It?s a rare occasion when within the city limits of one of our major cities, one can find pure water and trout and free canoeing and rapids and the seclusion of the Earth the way God made it. But the Chattahoochee River is this kind of place.?
Fort Frederica National Monument (St. Simons Island)
In the early 18th century, the land lying between British South Carolina and Spanish Florida was known as the debatable land. This land (which we call Georgia today) was the epicenter of a centuries-old imperial conflict between Spain and Britain. Fort Frederica was established in 1736 by James Oglethorpe to protect the southern boundary of his new colony of Georgia. Colonists from England, Scotland, and the Germanic states came to Frederica to support this endeavor.
Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park (Kennesaw)
The name Kennesaw is derived from the Cherokee Indian "Gah-nee-sah" meaning cemetery or burial ground. Kennesaw Mountain Battlefield is a 2, 888 acre National Battlefield that preserves a Civil War battleground of the Atlanta Campaign. The battle was fought here from June 18, 1864 until July 2, 1864. Shermans army consisted of 100, 000 men, 254 guns and 35, 000 horses. Johnstons army had 50, 000 men and 187 guns. Over 67, 000 soldiers were killed, wounded and captured during the Campaign.
Bond Swamp National Wildlife Refuge (Round Oak)
Bond Swamp NWR, located 6 miles south of Macon, was established in 1989 to protect, maintain and enhance the forested wetland ecosystem of the Ocmulgee River floodplain. It opened to the public in 2000 and currently consists of 6, 500 acres situated along the fall line separating the Piedmont and Coastal Plains. The refuge has a diversity of vegetation communities, including mixed hardwood-pine, bottomland hardwoods, tupelo gum swamp forests, creeks, tributaries, beaver swamps, and oxbow lakes.
Piedmont National Wildlife Refuge (Round Oak)
Piedmont National Wildlife Refuge is primarily an upland forest dominated by loblolly pine on the ridges with hardwoods found along the creek bottoms and in scattered upland coves. Clear streams and beaver ponds provide ideal wetland habitat for wood ducks and other wetland dependent species. In the early 1800's the European settlers arrived in abundance and began to clear the land to plant a variety of crops. The settlers removed more than 90% of the forest.
NARA's Southeast Region - Atlanta, GA (East Point)
Genealogy ResearchThe Atlanta facility has extensive microfilm holdings of value for genealogy research, among them: Federal population censuses for all States, 1790-1930; indexes for the 1880, 1900, 1910, and 1920 censuses (indexes are not available for all census years and all states); selected military service records and indexes; selected pension and bounty-land warrant applications; indexes to selected passengers arrival records for Eastern and Gulf Coast ports; indexes to selected naturali